Tuesday, July 18, 2017

An Interview with Author Chris Dyer

Currently living in the UK, author Chris Dyer is in the midst of
writing poetry, prose, non-fiction, horse remedies, and much more! A chance to meet up with Chris to talk about his writing, his love for horses, and things
in-between.

Welcome
Chris!

GM: When did you realize you wanted to
become a writer?

CD: I have always written even as a
child, not consciously I don’t think it was just something I did and enjoyed. I
remember we had a very strict, rather large French mistress at school and I had
been working on an uncle’s farm over the school holidays and had become
fascinated with the rearing of pigs… and decided that writing a book on pig
rearing (I was young and it never came to fruition) was far more interesting
and constrictive than learning French and so instead of following the lesson
was engrossed in writing a passage on the reproductive cycle of a pig. Unfortunately,
I had not realised she had been standing behind me asking me something like how
to say open the door in French (which was probably a phrase I would never use
anyway) but I was so in my own world I didn’t even notice. I received two
strokes of the cane for not paying attention (our school was a great school in
truth but did believe in discipline) and my embryonic career as a writer
binned. It didn’t stop me though and I used to write loads of short stories and
then when we were given English homework would use them if we had to write an
essay. So pretty well always. It wasn’t though until recently that I started to
get serious. I think the problem is it is such a difficult industry. It is easy
to write but difficult to get someone to read it… especially if they have to
pay for it. You normally get the response of… ohh you wrote a book… do you have
a copy you can let me have I would like to read that… which is a bit self-defeating
as you are going to work and then paying someone to do so!

GM: Describe your writing regime; do you
have a muse or other inspiration that drives your creativity?

CD: In honesty, I think everything that
surrounds one gives inspiration. Music, people, animals, life that all give you
something if you just take the trouble to look. I don’t think there is really
one thing that creates for me. I see a couple hand in hand and it gives me an
idea, I see an animal looking lovingly at someone. I tend to be quite observant
and study my surroundings a lot. But then I also go into a sort of trance like
state where I drift off into my own world where I completely blank, I think if
I didn’t the down side of life would be too much to bear. So, in short
everywhere and everything inspires me.

GM: Your first volume in The Rocket Series is Sting
in the Tail released earlier this year. How much of your own life with
horses is weaved into the script?

CD: This is a difficult one. I have
always denied this but I think you do put a little of yourself in your characters.
Most of my friends say it is me but I think that is an exaggeration. As I say
you are bound to put a little of yourself in the characters but I tend to
“pinch” bits from other characters that I know or meet and blend them
altogether. Having spent a great deal of my time around horsey it was quite
easy to take bits from others to make the person I wanted on the pages. Some of
the stuff in the book is bound to be about you as a person and one’s own
experiences but it has to be remembered that it is still a fiction so just a
little of me maybe.

GM: What future books are coming in the The Rocket Series?

CD: From
Rocket with Love is soon to be released and then Storm Brewing, I also have an idea to follow that with Both Barrels,
that though will I think be the last in the series. I am quite pleased with From Rocket with Love as it really is
very different and I think a little surprising. It’s like everything I suppose
JK Rowling wouldn’t have written the follow ups to Harry Potter if there was no
demand… so if people buy the book… well maybe it will inspire me to do more… I
have a couple of ideas so we shall see.

GM: Do you plan to write a book about
your other horsemanship adventures?

CD: I was thinking of trying to compile
a book of bedtime stories for children and a know Your Pony book that I am
writing with someone else, I think it will be good when it is finished… well I
hope so!

GM: I know you have written several
prolific poetry and prose books this year. Amazing reads with great reviews.
What other books have you written?

CD: I have several other books in the Something series to come as I enjoy
doing them, it is great to be able to put all one’s emotions and opinions down,
you can say whatever you want in whatever form. I have also written a book
called Plant
Potions and Oils for Horses a subject that is dear to my heart. I have
always believed that we do not use the resources that are under our noses and
in fact I consult for a fantastic company called Cavalor based in Belgium that
have a really open mind and I formulate remedies based on natural resources.
They are extremely demanding in their testing of products, which I like, but
also they are prepared to invest in researching the formulations I produce for
them. They have several products coming out this year that will have been
formulated by me and I am quite proud of that fact.

GM: What are you currently writing?

CD: I am finishing off Storm Brewing, have started working on
the follow up to the (working title Both
Barrels). I have another that is in the pipeline called Fired Up, again working title that is
based on a small farmer come horseman that becomes involved in the underworld
through chance. I think it will be okay and make quite an exciting read. I have
another called The Hit which I am not
sure will ever see the light of day in truth. it is very dark and it is graphic
and deals with the darkest side of the underworld. It is quite shocking in places
which I wanted it to be as I would like the reader to realise there are a lot
of things we close our eyes and ignore because it is so far out of our comfort
zones but as I say I am not sure it will ever go to print. Apart from that I have
a couple of fantasy novels I am working on that again may one day see the light
of day. I am also thinking of doing another book on natural remedies for horses
but that is sort of just an idea I have penciled on a scrap of paper at the
moment.

I have a couple more poetry books I am
working on and have a few ideas. I tend to have a lot of work “started” and
then will select which I like the most and concentrate on that. I am not a
consistent person if I am honest and tend to be a bit unpredictable, half the
time I don’t know what I will be doing or working on from one second to the
next! As my publisher knows well and probably means she needs to restock on
Valium to cope with me!

GM: Congratulations on all of your
award-winning new books! I’m positive your publisher does not take Valium
(lol). Do you have advice for novice writers?

CD: I’m not sure that anyone would want
to take advice from me! Actually, my advice to others is normally pretty sound,
it is me that I have problems with, I seem to have a distinct lack of any sense
when it comes to trying to advise myself! I don’t think there is any secret
formula that you can use, you just have to go with the flow, write what you
think and don’t be restricted by convention. Allow your imagination full rein.
Don’t allow rejection to stop you, keep trying, accept criticism with grace and
if it is constructive act on it. We all hate to have our work criticised but
without it will never improve and always remember that some will like what you
do but it will not suit everyone, otherwise we would all write the same and
that would be extremely boring.

GM: Back to horses. Tell us about your
favorite horse and why they were your favorite...

CD: It would be a stallion I owned, an
Anglo Arab. He was the kindest horse I ever knew and would always give his all
for you. he would follow me around the yard even past a mare without breaking
stride, no head collar, he was incredibly intelligent and we just had a special
relationship, we were the best of friends. To show how good he was he was being
skipped out one morning and we had some friends visiting and their daughter who
was about two had sneaked into his stable without being noticed. She waddled up
to him wrapped her arms around his back leg and was hugging the life out of him
and he never as much as twitched. Just looked at her looked at me as much to
say please get her off my leg. He was the best.

GM: As a former horse trainer, what is
key to creating a winning horse, and a horse that will be a well-loved
companion?

CD: Learning to relate to your horse and
having patience. I trained Arabians and pre-trained Thoroughbreds. I have to
tell you Arabians are harder to train as they think a lot more than a
Thoroughbred. You really do have to gain their trust. Sadly for me the
bureaucracy spoils the job, the small man has no chance against the big owners
that have huge resources to back them, though I have to say I did manage to
give them a run for their money! It is also about understanding that it should
not be a numbers game but about the individual horse. We shut them in a box for
23 hours a day to train them for a few minutes and think that is good enough… I
did things a little differently than that. if you told a human athlete he would
only have to do a few minutes a day and he would be 100% fir in six or twelve
weeks he would laugh at you. For me personally, and it is only my personal view
as there are some amazing trainers out there at the moment, horse need a
stronger regime to become ultimately fit shall we say, they need patience and
the opportunity to enjoy their work not be expected to be at their peak when
they are given say a five-furlong workout then expected to run over say two
miles. But then we all have different methods mine just worked really well for
me.

GM: What does horsemanship mean to you?

CD: Not doing the wrong thing, which we
have all done! If you are in a bad mood don’t go working your horse, you will
not do the job properly, your horse will sense it and you will end up giving
yourself three times more than you need to and making a mess of it. Come back
after an hour when you are feeling less agitated. Once you have started something
though you cannot walk away keep going to the end and have patience. Take the
time to get to know your horse, watch him or her, learn and that means from the
horse or from someone who gives you sound advice. The thing about horses is
friendship and trust but also being the boss, quite a hard combination to find
a happy medium. Be kind but firm, have understanding and discipline and always
remember your horse can teach you as much if not more than you can teach them.